


The Last Stand

by The_White_Wolf



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crisis on Infinite Earths Crossover Event (CW DC TV Universe), F/M, Gen, Mentioned Lauriver Children, Sad Ending, Whump, no happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:07:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28797342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_White_Wolf/pseuds/The_White_Wolf
Summary: A different take on what could have happened during Oliver's last stand on Earth 38.
Relationships: Laurel Lance/Oliver Queen
Comments: 22
Kudos: 21





	The Last Stand

**Author's Note:**

  * For [okoriwadsworth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/okoriwadsworth/gifts), [Greensirencanary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Greensirencanary/gifts).



> This idea was conceived by Greensirencanary and Okori over on the Lauriver Discord. Despite preferring a happier ending for Ollie and Laurel, I thought I would have a try something without a happy ending, so here is my take of what could have happened during Crisis when Oliver dies. Also, a special thanks to Okori for giving this a read through before I posted it. 
> 
> I've only watched Crisis once, so please be gentle if I have missed something.

Oliver fought alongside his teammates, his friends, and his family. He could see from the corner of his eye, Kara and her cousin fighting side by side, across from them were Barry and Ray. Behind him, he could hear the love of his life, Laurel, fighting for every soul from Kara’s Earth. It didn’t matter if they were criminals or innocent, every life mattered.

He fired arrows at the shadow demons, the wraith-like beings that swarmed them, and the endless army of ghouls that were bringing the crisis. What was happening was so different from what had occurred on Earth 2, where he had managed to just save Dinah, Laurel’s doppelgänger, and her Birds of Prey.

Oliver fought, ignoring the aches and pains from the constant fighting for the last year, with no time to rest, he heard The Monitor’s voice. “The battle has been lost.” The celestial being hollered across the battlefield.

The Monitor was telling them to make a tactical retreat. To regroup and prepare for future battles. Despite the command from the cosmic being, no one looked like they were prepared to stop, everyone kept fighting. They knew what was at stake, and if they stopped, many people would be killed.

Oliver ignored the Monitor, and kept fighting, ignoring the flashes of bright blue across the battlefield, until he realized he was the last man standing. The Monitor had sent everyone, including his wife, the mother of his two children back home.

Oliver didn’t let up, despite knowing what was going to happen. A stray tear escaped his eyes and rolled down his mask, and onto his bearded cheek.

“It is time, Oliver Queen.” The Monitor said from a few feet away. The being didn’t help Oliver fight, instead, he was studying him for a minute.

“Has the planet been evacuated yet?” Oliver growled back while ducking under one of the wraiths.

“It has not.”

Oliver clenched his fist. Everyone counted on him, from every soul in this world to every other world, including his own. The same one that the others had returned to, the same one that held his family. Connor and Liv were being held in an ARGUS safe house with Ted and Roy. The safe house and their guards didn’t matter if he couldn’t hold the line for a little bit longer.

“Then it is not time, yet!” Oliver growled back. He fired a taser-arrow at The Monitor, to buy him a few seconds while he was stunned. Oliver loosed every arrow he had, and as he reached up to grab an arrow, he felt none.

His quiver was empty.

Oliver exhaled, before looking at the swarm of demons that assembled at the other end of the rooftop. With a heavy heart, he dropped his bow, the same one that Laurel had given him when he was released from Slabside.

At that moment as the Wraiths moved towards him with such speed and ferociousness, all he could hear was his heart thumping in his chest. It wasn’t the first time that Oliver had marched to his own death, but this time felt different. He made the deal with the Monitor. No one would save him at the last minute, as Maseo and Tatsu had after Ra’s had almost-- should have killed him.

Oliver roared as he rushed towards the army of demons. Unlike before, where his friends and family had evened out the numbers, he was outnumbered. Oliver was thrown into the air and landed against some concrete debris as Oliver hit the debris, he heard a crackling sound from his arm. He looked down to see his bloody arm, with a piece of bone protruding out from his skin. He felt cold and did his best to ignore the blinding pain, hissing as he managed to get on his feet, only to be flung again, and again.

Every inch of his body ached, the world around him was blurry. He struggled to sit up, he couldn’t feel his legs. With a hitched breath, he watched as the Monitor looked at him from afar with sorrow in his eyes, before he made a breach to send Oliver back home.

Oliver opened his eyes to see Laurel standing over him, her green eyes looking over his broken and battered body. Every shallow breath he took felt like someone was stabbing him. “Ollie?” Laurel croaked as she held his hand.

He could just hear The Monitor talking to the other heroes, but his eyes remained on the love of his life. I'm so sorry.” He managed to tell her between coughs.

“No.” Laurel shook her head, her mask dangling from her neck. Oliver desperately wanted to wipe her tear-stained cheeks with his thumb, but couldn't. “No, Ollie, you can’t give up. You always get back up!”

His heart broke as he watched Laurel weep. She knew what was going to happen, but knowing something and actually living it were two separate things. He was the reason she was heartbroken once again.

Oliver could still remember them arguing over his decision. How they should try to find another way, until she had accepted, just like him, that his sacrifice would save more people than allowing Barry and Kara to die.

Oliver wasn’t a metahuman like Laurel, Liv, or Barry. He wasn’t born on another planet, he was human. A regular person. It is simple logic that in the long run Barry and Kara will save more people than he ever could. 

It didn’t make it easier to make that decision, he would be giving up the life that he had built with Laurel, as messy as it was. They had a family. Hopefully one day, they will understand the sacrifice he made. The reason why their Daddy wouldn’t be able to attend their sports matches, give them advice, be there when they graduate or walk his baby girl down the aisle. He was forcing Laurel to become a widow and a single mother.

He managed to shake his head slightly, ignoring the searing pain. “Not this time, Pretty Bird. I’m sorry that I won’t be there for you or our babies…”

Laurel bit her lip, she didn’t say anything. They knew one day that one of them would die due to this life, Laurel already had if you counted what happened before Flashpoint.

Oliver looked at Barry, his brother in all but name. “Barry, you are my best friend… My brother. I gave everything up so that you and Kara could live. You are the best of us… You have to lead them…now.” Barry’s eyes welled with tears, but he remained strong. 

Every breath he took felt like hot sand was being poured into his chest. His eyes looked back at Laurel, Oliver hadn’t noticed Speedy crying against Laurel’s shoulder, her arms wrapped around Laurel. “Speedy…” What could Oliver say to his little sister? Thea had followed him everywhere both as an adult and as a girl. Thea followed in his footsteps with Verdant, being a vigilante, and entering the political arena with him. “I love you.” Oliver’s eyes moved to Laurel’s green ones. “Both of you.” His eyes returned to his sister. “Please look after our family?”

Speedy’s mouth moved a few times before she spoke with a hoarse voice. “You never need to ask me that.” She gave him a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

Oliver’s eyes returned to his wife, he managed with the remaining strength he had to rub his thumb against the back of her hand, lovingly. He was going to miss her. “Give Connie and Liv a kiss and a cuddle for him. Tell them that I’m sorry and that I didn’t feel any pain.”

Oliver coughed causing his chest to feel like someone was applying a lead weight on his chest. His eyes felt heavy. “I love you, Pretty Bird…” He managed to say before he coughed and spluttered before his eyes closed for the last time. 

“I love you too, Ollie.” He heard the love of his life tell him before the world around him disappeared. 


End file.
